As a rabbi, Jewish day school administrator, and parent of a rising kindergartener and preschooler, I found myself eagerly anticipating the start of the 2016-2017 school year. Here are some thoughts that are on my mind during this great season known as “back to school.” I write a column like this on an annual basis, […]
My Late Grandfather’s Purple Heart
Yesterday while scrolling through Twitter a story about Donald Trump opened the gates of memory. Passing through I found myself sitting on my grandparents’ living room couch. How many times did I ask Grandpa Lapidus to show me his WWII medals? When I held the Purple Heart that he earned courtesy of shrapnel at the Battle […]
The absurdity of shalom
The absurdity of shalom The absurdity of shalom Is that it always has Always will Always must exist In every corner of the world In every wrinkle in time In every cradle of civilization In every ecosystem And every epoch Shalom is an undeniable and universal truth That human beings simultaneously acknowledge […]
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Last month my wife, Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, and I saw “Beautiful” at the Fox Theatre here in Atlanta. The show captivated me because, like Carol King, I’m a songwriter/composer. The creative tension writing incredibly personal music that is then performed by other people– that’s something I’ve thought a lot about. I’d LOVE to chat […]
Enough, enough, and enough: Parhsat Korach
The 16th chapter of the Book of Numbers tells the story of Korach. It’s typically taught as a story of rebellion. A faction of Israelites, led by Korach, challenges the authority of Moses and Aaron. Moses accepts the challenge and the following morning, in an act of Divine dispute resolution, the ground opens up […]
“Now it is time for you to do as you see fit.”
Last night I went to bed reading the news that a black man was found hanging from a tree in Piedmont Park. For those that aren’t familiar, Piedmont Park is basically the Central Park of Atlanta. I was there most recently on the 4th of July after crossing the finish line of The Peachtree […]